Cup-tie was being televised the previous Sunday. City's Micah Richards was knocked unconscious in collision with teammate Nigel de Jong, and manager Roberto Mancini accused Kevin Phillips of diving to earn the penalty from which Gardner gave Birmingham what BBC Sport's reporter termed a "deserved equaliser." Returning to West Ham United having beaten them to reach the League Cup final, Birmingham ensured that it would be they and not the hosts who escaped from the relegation places when Žigić scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half. Obafemi Martins had a quiet debut at home to Stoke City. A dull match was goalless until stoppage time, when Begović fumbled Bentley's shot, Jerome robbed him of the ball, flicked it up from the byline and Žigić outjumped John Carew and headed the winner to give Birmingham their first consecutive Premier League wins in almost a year. McLeish suggested that fatigue might be a factor in Birmingham's "flat" performance three days later as they lost 2–0 at home to Newcastle United to leave themselves in 14th place, three points above the relegation zone. March Beausejour scored his first Premier League goal in a losing cause at home to West Bromwich Albion, in Birmingham's first league match after the League Cup win. His second, a header from Mutch's cross, took the lead at Everton, but the match was drawn. In the second half, referee Peter Walton had taken the field without his yellow card, so had to act out issuing a caution to Mutch using an imaginary card. Having exited the relegation zone the previous week, Birmingham conceded a stoppage-time goal at Wigan Athletic to find themselves back in it. Ridgewell scored early on from what appeared to be an offside position, and Jiránek left the field soon afterwards with an injury, but Wigan equalised through Tom Cleverley before Maynor Figueroa scored the winner from . The defeat left them in 19th place, though if they won their game in hand, the three points would take them to a mid-table 13th. April After goals by Phillips from a Larsson corner and by Gardner after a one-two with Jerome, a Larsson goal disallowed for offside and a Johnson volley drawing a good save from Jääskeläinen, Birmingham should have been comfortable. However, Johan Elmander scored an excellent volleyed goal from distance, Bolton Wanderers took heart, and only fine goalkeeping from Foster